New "What If" Units + Suggestions

[Matsuda123]

Hello,

I'm in the process of designing two "what if" units currently. The theme for these two is: What if the Japanese created their own Ironclads?

I'm curious to hear suggestions about what to add, if anything, to them.

The first one is based on the Monitor. Rotating turret and all, but still distinctively Japanese. I feel it is lacking something though...

The second is the model I prefer. Based off the Mekura Bune, it is an armored version of the ship, and will eventually have cannons like a casemate ironclad.

 

[rtt4a]

Looking forward

 

[Matsuda123]

Looking forward

Thank you. I also have plans for other "What if" units. Such as fighters, bombers, tanks, destroyers, and things like that.

 

[rtt4a]

If you take requests also.. some modern warships, japanese or others would be cool to have. Also germany "what if"- units would be nice.

 

[Matsuda123]

Actually, I'm focusing more on East Asian and Middle Eastern culture groups. I want to explore what it would be like if they had developed into the industrial era and beyond by themselves, without western influence. I may also create things like what if the Mesoamericans discovered gunpowder on their own?

I'm also completely unaware of how to merge unit animations with models... and i don't know how to texture yet. So it will take a while.

 

[PPQ_Purple]

It's not hard. Here is a step by step guide:

1. Select the unit whose animations you want for your model. Like say a warrior or battleship.
   You can find these in your Civilization IV Assets/Art/Units folder.
   
   
2. Open the 3D file your model is saved in and using a .nif import plugin for what ever software it is you are modeling in import that selected unit from the original game on top of your custom model.
   This step will import both the mesh but also the skeleton needed for animation into your file. The latter is what you'll need for animation.
   
   
3. Now that you have the skeleton imported add a skin modifier (or what ever it's called in your software of choice) and rig up your model to the skeleton from the unit you imported. This basically involves attaching appropriate pieces of the mesh to the appropriate bones using the original unit as a reference.
   
   
4. Once you do these three steps export your unit as a .nif file, open it and copy your custom mesh from that file over to the .nif file containing the original unit. Save it and now you have your model all ready to use those animations.

I can go into more details if you happen to be using 3D studio Max. But this should be enough to, along with a google search give you the tools you need.

 

[Matsuda123]

It's not hard. Here is a step by step guide:

1. Select the unit whose animations you want for your model. Like say a warrior or battleship.
   You can find these in your Civilization IV Assets/Art/Units folder.
   
   
2. Open the 3D file your model is saved in and using a .nif import plugin for what ever software it is you are modeling in import that selected unit from the original game on top of your custom model.
   This step will import both the mesh but also the skeleton needed for animation into your file. The latter is what you'll need for animation.
   
   
3. Now that you have the skeleton imported add a skin modifier (or what ever it's called in your software of choice) and rig up your model to the skeleton from the unit you imported. This basically involves attaching appropriate pieces of the mesh to the appropriate bones using the original unit as a reference.
   
   
4. Once you do these three steps export your unit as a .nif file, open it and copy your custom mesh from that file over to the .nif file containing the original unit. Save it and now you have your model all ready to use those animations.

I can go into more details if you happen to be using 3D studio Max. But this should be enough to, along with a google search give you the tools you need.

Thank you very much. I will try this out as soon as I can. Hopefully it will work.

Do you happen to know how to texture? UV maps completely confuse me currently... seems like a big tangled mess of strings.

 

[PPQ_Purple]

I know how to do it in 3D max only. And there it boils down to:
- Create texture.
- Apply UNWRAP UVW modifier to mesh.
- Fiddle about for many hours getting the vertices to line up in a way that you find works

And it's entirely a matter of practice, practice and yet more practice with no good way to make it easier. Well, no way other than completely cheating and using existing textures from the base game to avoid drawing your own.

 

[topsecret]

Thank you very much. I will try this out as soon as I can. Hopefully it will work.

Do you happen to know how to texture? UV maps completely confuse me currently... seems like a big tangled mess of strings.

This tutorial on making buildings has a section (section 3) about some very basics of UV mapping.

Here's a wiki-book that explains other basics as well. More tutorials if you wanna learn a bunch.

 

[Matsuda123]

These all sound like very good resources, I will try them out soon. Results will happen, don't worry.

 

[Matsuda123]

So, with the city-sets I am making, am I supposed to texture all of the buildings at once? Or am I supposed to take each individual building into blender and texture it?

 

[Sword_Of_Geddon]

From what I've seen of citysets, some use a couple texture files, others use one.